Bantam lethargic, pale comb, but eating.

[azygous]

If this swelling is just below the vent area, it might be from a reproductive infection. Now, please regard that as extremely tentative and in no way a diagnosis. In fact, treating her with an oral antibiotic and having her improve would be more of a "diagnosis". (It's called trial and error or throw stuff at the problem to see if anything helps.) You can try her on an antibiotic and see if it makes a difference.

As far as being bullied, it's common for a sick chicken to be bullied. I have a hen, herself currently being treated for an infection, who goes into an absolute rage when she sees another hen in the throes of wry neck, attacking her without reserve. Humans have nothing over chickens when it comes to persecuting other individuals for differences.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

If this swelling is just below the vent area, it might be from a reproductive infection. Now, please regard that as extremely tentative and in no way a diagnosis. In fact, treating her with an oral antibiotic and having her improve would be more of a "diagnosis". (It's called trial and error or throw stuff at the problem to see if anything helps.) You can try her on an antibiotic and see if it makes a difference.

As far as being bullied, it's common for a sick chicken to be bullied. I have a hen, herself currently being treated for an infection, who goes into an absolute rage when she sees another hen in the throes of wry neck, attacking her without reserve. Humans have nothing over chickens when it comes to persecuting other individuals for differences.

I think I could get some baytril (quinoflox) from the vet and try that tomorrow ?

Do you think she could be egg bound (but she pooped normally today and hardly ever lays eggs and I can't feel any shell) would it be worth trying a magnesium bath/oil round the vent (or do you put it in the vent ?)

Yes chickens are mean to each other and even though mine are in a large barn with only 20 of them, the lockdown seems to have made them really attack each other much worse than normal......

 

[azygous]

If she was egg bound, she likely wouldn't have normal poops. Yes, try the Baytril if you can get it from the vet. No, a salts bath wouldn't accomplish anything.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

If she was egg bound, she likely wouldn't have normal poops. Yes, try the Baytril if you can get it from the vet. No, a salts bath wouldn't accomplish anything.

Thank you. Last night she looked like she wasn't going to make it, I put her by the heater with another bantam (blocked crop) for company. This morning she's picked up and is eating and pooping well !! So I emailed the local vet and got Baytril and started her on that. As you said, he also thinks it sounds like peritonitis and chances not great but it's worth a shot, thank you for your guidance and support with this, I'll let you know how it goes.

The other bantam I put in with her has crop issues - seems to have a golf ball sized bunch of something which feels like grass stuck in her crop that's been there for at least a month and not shifting. Too big to empty it from the crop through her throat, when I do that food comes out but not the lump and I don't want to choke her. She's OK in health but just very distended crop and spends quite a bit of time sitting around on the floor, although lively and seems to eat and poop around the blockage.

I've given her 2ml of paraffin last night and massaged the crop and her poop has green hard pellets in it today, but still about a golfball size lump inside her. How long can I go on with the paraffin, or do you suggest something else ? I can post a gross poop photo if it helps !

As this is a different issue, should I put it in a separate post and tag you ?

Many thanks

 

[azygous]

You must be in Europe since you refer to cooking oil as paraffin. Continue with the oil, every few hours followed by a massage to the crop targeting the lump. Try to break it up with your fingers. Offer plenty of water with access to grit.

By the latter part of the day, if the lump has not yet broken up, try a stool softener capsule. (Softener, not a laxative).

If that fails, there is the Epsom Salt ( magnesium sulfate) flush to fall back on, but that involves tubing it and it can take up to three days twice a day for the procedure.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

You must be in Europe since you refer to cooking oil as paraffin. Continue with the oil, every few hours followed by a massage to the crop targeting the lump. Try to break it up with your fingers. Offer plenty of water with access to grit.

By the latter part of the day, if the lump has not yet broken up, try a stool softener capsule. (Softener, not a laxative).

If that fails, there is the Epsom Salt ( magnesium sulfate) flush to fall back on, but that involves tubing it and it can take up to three days twice a day for the procedure.

Yes we're on a farm near Oxford in the UK !

By paraffin I mean kerosene/mineral oil - can I just check it is OK to give this every few hours ?

Or should I be using a vegetable oil such as sunflower, corn, olive oil etc ?

 

[azygous]

Is this paraffin refined and cleared for human consumption? Here in the US, kerosene is a toxic substance that could kill a chicken. I think I've read that kerosene in Europe is the same as the mineral oil we use here in the US to resolve constipation in humans, so it's therefore safe for chickens.

I recommend coconut oil, though. It's easiest to use for chickens, chilling makes it solid and easier to push into the beak without making a mess of the chicken and yourself.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

Is this paraffin refined and cleared for human consumption? Here in the US, kerosene is a toxic substance that could kill a chicken. I think I've read that kerosene in Europe is the same as the mineral oil we use here in the US to resolve constipation in humans, so it's therefore safe for chickens.

I recommend coconut oil, though. It's easiest to use for chickens, chilling makes it solid and easier to push into the beak without making a mess of the chicken and yourself.

Yes I think European kerosene is different !! On the label it says "white mineral oil for use with animals to ease blocked fecal matter ie constipation".

So just to update you, I gave 3 doses of 2ml mineral oil and massaged the crop and today it's about halved in size and much softer, so I'll keep going with that, although that chicken today is quite alert but is just sitting quietly resting her crop on the floor, maybe the massaging and excreting process is quite exhausting for her, she hasn't eaten much today.

The other one with the suspected peritonitis has now had 2 days of the baytril and seems quite a lot brighter, ie is standing rather than sitting and pecking for food, although still quite hunched, but hopefully will continue to improve. They are sitting together in a dog crate by the heater and they seem to be purring !!

Thanks for your support with this, I'll keep you updated !

 

[azygous]

When our patients improve with the treatment we try, it's a sign that maybe it's the right one. It's what we hope for.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

When our patients improve with the treatment we try, it's a sign that maybe it's the right one. It's what we hope for.

Just to update you, the one with the blocked crop, after 3 days of mineral oil and massage, the volume of the crop has reduced by about half and has less hard lumps. She's eating better and quite bright and alert and energetic. It feels like there's a small hard lump in there - maybe ate a mouse or frog and it's the skull or spine or something ? Also a squishy lump of something ? Hope I'm not feeling her internal organs but my other bantams don't seem to have those things. Does that matter if food can still go round these blockages ? Will it dissolve eventually ? Should I go on to the other interventions you suggested ?

The other lady with peritonitis is looking less hopeful sadly, she was brighter for a few days and I'm still giving the baytril twice a day for 3 days now. She's not really eating or drinking much and seems quite unbalanced on her feet. Spends most of her time sleeping with her head under her wing or pushed into the other one's feathers . After how long would there have been an improvement ? Should I be feeding sugar water as she's not eating ? It got better for a couple of days now I'm not so sure. And if she's not going to make it what do I do next ?

Many thanks